


Never Mine

by summerxblessings



Category: Infinite (Band), K-pop
Genre: Angst, Bitterness, F/M, Fantasy, Fate, Historical AU, Immortal!Sunggyu, Mention of rape in later chapter, Mention of self-harm and depression in later chapter, Not A Happy Ending, Not for the light-hearted, Red String of Fate, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-10-05 16:33:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17328554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/summerxblessings/pseuds/summerxblessings
Summary: {AU} Even though they were fated he would never be hers and she would never be his.





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> This story can also be found here: https://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/1208738/never-mine-angst-fantasy-infinite-romance-sunggyu-shortstory-sunggyuxoc-soulmateau
> 
> And also here: https://www.wattpad.com/myworks/80137516-never-mine

 

He was watching.

Silently and without much of a breath, he watched. He was not enchanted--no, he was watching because he had no idea what he was going to do with his new revelation.

She went about her daily things, not heeding the world that buzzed around her and especially not him, who was an intruder to the peaceful setting around him. The waves gently crashed onto the shoreline, seagulls shrieking in the distance as the lazy sun sat in the sky providing warmth and comfort. 

He supposed that it was one of her charms--to be so sheltered and so out of touch with other humans. When they were more quiet and reserved, he found, they were more endearing.

He cursed himself.

He eyed his own hands, wondering if he could do what he had come here to execute.

Clenching his hands slowly, trying not to eye a certain something, his expression did not give away much.

They'd come too far to give up; that was his final verdict.

He disappeared as the next wave crashed onto the ocean. It was that moment she turned to look out her window, missing him by just a short millisecond.

The young lady frowned, wondering if it were just her imagination. She had thought she saw someone out there.

Shrugging away her thoughts, she continued on with kneading the dough in front of her. It was going to be another quiet day.

\--

She walked along the shoreline lost in her thoughts, wondering and wandering all the same. She had finished what she had needed to do that day with haste--she had gone to the market to pick up some fruits and vegetables and she had finished doing the preparations for dinner--there wasn't much to do to be honest. She lived by herself now.

Looking out into the vast ocean, she hesitantly dipped her foot into the water, the water gently lapping against the wet sand.

It had not been long since her father had passed onto the other world and it was hard to adjust to his absence.

She was so used to doing everything with him.

Without him now, everything was too quiet.

The rooms at the place she called home no longer felt like home. The quiet seemed to ring on and on in the silence, and the dinner table always looked far too remorseful with only one serving to be served and only one set of utensils set out.

"Why, isn't it Rin?" a voice called out.

She turned around to see the baker's wife from the nearby town. She gave her a small smile and nod. The older lady was with the youngest son of the family.

Rin supposed she was so lost in thought that she had not heard the older lady approach with the excited toddler.

"Good afternoon Missus," Rin greeted her. The older lady just waved her greeting away impatiently. "How are you holding up?"

It was no secret that her father had passed on--he was a bright individual that made everyone's day when he passed through the market every week. It had long been known that he was rather ill and during the time he had been too ill to visit the market, instead, some of the folks from the town visited.

Rin gave a small smile, "I'm holding on."

The older lady just sighed, looking rather stressed. "I just wish that your father took heed to my words when he first fell ill." The young child with her pulled impatiently at her skirts but the older lady just shushed the child, indicating to him that he should play on his own.

"I told your father it was time to give you away before you were left all alone, you poor thing," she said to Rin. The two of them watched the young child shriek in delight as a wave crashed into the shoreline, almost toppling him, with barefeet and a bright smile to accompany it, over. "But you know what the man told me? He told me that you were not his to give away! What an absurd thing to say!"

Rin gave a tentative smile--unsure of what to say to the older lady. She had lived in seclusion with her father so the thought of socializing with anyone or anything terrified her. She was not meant to wed, she thought.

"No matter," the older lady said, "let bygones be bygones. You're a pretty thing, I'm sure that you'll be able to manage to find yourself a husband. You're still very young." She trailed off, "However, I do hope that you're not doing what your father has been doing ever since he moved out here from the town as a young lad." 

She continued, "He was a precious soul, bless him. But it doesn't make sense to risk your life for people who don't want to be saved. Heaven knows why he moved out here when he had a perfectly fine house out in town as a young child. But no matter--I suppose. You should be taking care of yourself young missy," the lady waggled her finger at Rin. "Nevermind what your father used to do--being a hero and all. You should be careful of yourself. If you continued doing what your father used to do, I wouldn't be surprised if you were swept away by the ocean! Nevermind that--it's dangerous for a young lady to live alone. How scandalous! If only you had relatives that lived in town."

Rin fought hard to speak her mind, holding her tongue out of respect for the older lady.

"Good day Missus," Rin said, before the older lady could continue on. She gave a small curtsey, "It's time for me to go home and finish with the butter I was churning."

"Why go along dear," the older lady sniffed, her eyes looking teary. "Just thinking about your father got me all sad. He was a dear friend of my husband."

Rin could only give a small and tight smile, quickly scrambling back home, the shrieks of delight of the young toddler trailing after her.

\--

Rin, however was not one to listen to anyone's advice.

She knew if her father were still around, he would have wanted her to continue doing what he did all of those years before his death.

However, she wasn't supposed to be there that day; the weather had been far too horrible to even attempt to walk by the seashore. She had even tried convincing herself from going to where the water met the land. But she still did anyway. 

Just in case.

Her father wouldn't have. however. She supposed that if he were around he would have scolded her; the storm was far too bad and dangerous. It would be easy to be blown astray from the land and into the water. He always put safety first.

Normally, she would've stayed in. Usually, she played it safe. But she didn't want to, not that day. She heard someone or something calling her. She had to go. Her legs led her before her brain could stop her.

She had also begun missing her father all of a sudden after a few days of feeling okay as she watched the clouds rolled in that morning.

Her umbrella snapped from the strong gusts of wind that didn't seem to cease. It had snapped despite her efforts to make sure her umbrella faced in the direction the wind was coming from--a handy trick she learned from trial and error and observing her father when she was a child. She watched as the top half of her umbrella, the part that had been keeping her relatively dry, faded into the distance as the strong wind carried it away. It didn't take long; perhaps a second or two. Her hand held the handle. She didn't want to let it go and pollute the water.

Then she continued her journey without wasting a second, heading towards the seashore that was in sight. She walked faster than she originally did, feeling a drive to leave the horrible weather behind as soon as possible. She shivered.

She didn't see anyone but she knew there was someone out there--she felt it. She walked closer and closer towards the person, letting her feet lead her.

She wasn't surprised that someone was there in such horrible weather. It was common to come here when the weather was bad to ensure they wouldn't be found on time. That was also why she was there.

It was a place only the people who were long gone would visit; those who wanted to disappear into the murky depths of the cascading, embracing arms of the ocean. They were the people who had nothing left for them on the land.

Perhaps she was the same as them. She had nothing left for her on the land too.

She scrambled along the shoreline, being careful to keep a comfortable distance away from the water. She was not one that would accept the embrace of the ocean. She had too many things to live for--a mystery to solve about her origins. She shivered, her hair and clothes completely soaked through by the rainwater. But she continued on anyway, picking up her pace once again.

She lived by the ocean, by the cliff overlooking the now-raging waters that thundered without fail onto the seashore. It was, had always been, and still is a place frequented by those who were gone yet still here and could no longer stand it, looking to seek the embracing comfort of the ocean.

She was assaulted by a particularly large wave that crashed onto her, making her drop to her knees with a thud! She choked on salt water that she accidentally swallowed, the salty, dirty water making her gag. She scrambled up, continuing her walk along the seashore, her drive to be warm making her walking faster than she was originally. Her teeth were chattering and she shivered each time the wind blew, each time its strength more vicious than the last. 

She wanted to return home fast, where the warm glow of the fire in the fireplace would warm her up. She was soaked to the bones at this point. The seawater was colder than the rain and she would catch something if she didn't return home fast.

She almost regretted coming out today.

But she was rewarded by the sight of someone in the distance. 

It was a man.

"You there!" she yelled out but her voice was drowned out by the sea and the rain. She continued walking towards the man, knowing that it was only a matter of time before he accepted the icy embrace of the ocean--and time was everything. She grabbed him by the shoulder, pulling him away as another particularly large wave crashed onto the shore and swept where the both of them had been standing not even a few seconds ago.

She heard rumbling in the distance. Thunder was coming.

She grabbed his hand and began to pull at it. She was surprised that her efforts were not met with a struggle; it was a first. She turned slightly to make eye contact with the man that she had pulled away from the border between land and water.

She was used to a struggle. And lots and lots of struggling.

He was looking at her, studying her. His eyes were expressive and they looked like the gateway to his soul. His eyes told her that he had seen much more than he should have than people his age. They were determined. Not broken.

What gave him away and chilled her to the bones was how he looked pleased to see her.

Something was not right.

She immediately let go of his hand, backing slightly away from him. She could not deny that he seemed familiar but that did not save her from feeling uncomfortable under his scrutiny.

She was eyeing him, taking in his persona and the way he stood. She ignored the rain pelleting down onto her back from the stormy sky above and the warning rumble of thunder in the distance.

He stood too straight and proud to be someone who wanted to accept the embrace of the ocean. He looked like he stood for a purpose. His eyes were the darkest brown that she wondered if they were black and his jet black hair (that looked like it had traces of the darkest blue) was wet and framed his face.

She took another step back.

The man decided to speak then. He didn't even seem to strain much to be heard over the storm. "So the rumours were true."

Now that she thinks about it, perhaps, if she'd never shown up there that day, she would have never met him. But she doubt it would have changed the future and what ensued, so it made her all the glad that they at least met in this lifetime for her.

A huge wave swallowed the two of them. The only thing she remembered before she completely lost consciousness was blue, blue, blue and blue. 

She unwillingly accepted the embrace of the ocean that cradled her and sang her a sweet lullaby.


	2. II

She woke up to the sound of creaking and the smell of the salty sea. She was comfortable--far more comfortable than she'd have expected for someone that had probably gone to hell and back. She could only remember being swallowed by the water and nothing else afterwards. She also wasn't running a fever, which was definitely not making any sense.

Slowly, she sat up from where she lay on the bed, taking in her surroundings.

She'd never been on water (she never strayed too far from the border between water and land) so the gentle rocking of the ground beneath made her feel queasy. She was on a ship; that much was obvious. There was the sound of lapping waves. If it had been any other situation, she might have found the sound serene. But it made her sick. She had to fight the urge to vomit.

Kicking off the slightly worn-down covers that covered her, she stood up with challenge, her knees wobbling as she staggered to the window sill where sunlight warmly streamed in, illuminating every corner of the room with a gentle touch. Looking out, she could see that all there was in the distance and in her immediate surroundings was water. 

Water, water, water.

She heard her heart begin to beat faster in her ears. She swallowed nervously, a wave of dread hitting her and joining the nauseating feelings she already had.

But... where exactly was she?

Eyeing the door that was directly to the right of the window, she used the wooden walls of the room to keep herself from stumbling onto the floor and slowly made progress towards it. Reaching the door after a long, torturous journey, she jiggled the door knob that was rusted and old, turning it.

She let out a breath of disappointment.

Of course it wouldn't open. What was she even expecting?

She had definitely not come here on her own volition. She didn't accept the embrace of the ocean willingly.

She thought of the man and his dark, stormy eyes and shivered. He was an unusual one and he wanted something with her. She just didn't know what. And she wasn't sure if she wanted to know.

Despite her inability to stand up properly, she thought it was worth a shot to try pounding on the door and annoy whoever it was that had her held in the room. She'd get their attention and hopefully somehow be able to trick them into letting her go. Although the man was sure, she was adamant that she wasn't the one he was looking for.

"Let me out of here!" she pounded at the door, her world spinning as she did so. It was probably not a good idea to pound on the door and announce her awakening, despite the rationale behind it. She immediately stopped, taking in a deep breath to make herself feel better.

Wobbling, she slowly sat herself down onto the wooden floorboards of the ship. The rocking had gotten worse. She leaned slightly against the door, her head pounding. She wanted to throw up.

There was knocking on the door; a little, joyous rhythm to it that made her slightly irritated.

"You're awake aren't you?" a mysterious voice asked. It was familiar even though she didn't know who it was. It must have been the man who was responsible for all of this nonsense.

She opted not to reply because she couldn't. And even if she could, she probably wouldn't have. She was angry. She wanted to go home. But she was suddenly hit with the realization--did she really have a home? She didn't have one since her father passed on. Her house overlooking the cliff was empty and didn't feel like home anymore.

"'I know you're awake," the voice mused. She ignored him again. She wasn't denying that she was awake; it would be stupid. She did, after all, pound on the door.

The door barged open and she almost toppled over immediately. She was now clinging onto the edge of the door. Looking up, she saw the man with dark eyes and midnight blue hair.

"Who are you?" she asked, looking up at him with wary eyes. All of her previous thoughts of escaping once the door was open was lost. The man had a regal air to him that made her cower slightly in his presence.

He just smirked slightly in response.

"That's for me to know and for you to find out."

He grabbed her by her hand and pulled her upwards--and he was met by resistance--something that surprised him and both her. She had a sudden burst of courage that made her act that way. He frowned, making eye-contact with the scowling girl.

"Just who exactly are you and why am I here?" she asked, attempting to make herself look intimidating. But it definitely failed, because the man tried hiding the slightly lifted upturns of his lips which somehow turned into a full-blown smirk. 

She decided to continue down the route she had begun, although she was begining to realise that it wasn't going to work. "I'm waiting. I want an answer. Now."

"In due time, child." He let go of her instead and urged her to follow him. She refused.

"I won't be going anywhere unless you tell me firsthand what's going on." She then added thoughtfully, "And I'm not a child."

"Well I can't tell you anything without showing you it," the man said, definitely thoroughly amused. The slight twinkle in his eyes said it.

She just stared at him, unwilling to budge from where she sat on the floor.

He sighed.

After a long struggle, she was dragged down a long, mouldy corridor, up a flight of old, creaky stairs and onto the deck above. There, the smell of the salty sea was amplified tenfold and the sun seemed to shine too bright, completely oblivious to her perilous situation (or at least she assumed so). She kicked and clawed at him, trying to make him loosen the hold he had on her wrist to no avail. She did not know what was happening but while she did not think there was any reason to live anymore, she wanted her life to end on her own volition.

She then immediately froze, realising they weren't alone, sensing other presences.

She was on a ship... in the middle of nowhere... and with a bunch of men. 

They were eyeing her. 

She wasn't sure which emotion was behind the way they were looking at her because of her indifference and inexperience with men, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to find out.

She felt like the contents of her stomach were going to empty itself onto the deck. Perhaps she would be in more trouble then. Maybe she should try to vomit on herself make herself less attractive--

As if a force suddenly hit everyone, all of the men fell down onto the deck, including the man that was holding her wrist captive. Her bindings came loose--she was not sure how but she was not going to question it. It must be a sign from the Heavens. She was free.

Immediately, she took off towards the blue sea that was definitely, at this point of time, safer than being on the ship. She ran, noticing that she didn't have her shoes but it didn't matter. Her feet slapped against the wooden floor of the ship, her feet stinging with each stride she took. Reaching the edge of the ship, she paused momentarily, trying to ready herself for the descent. She--

Was then grabbed by the waist by a pair of strong arms and dragged away from the ledge. She struggled, scratched, and twisted but she could not be freed.

"Stop!" the voice commanded. She did not heed him.

"Stop," another voice, slightly more sweeter and a little deeper commanded. This time she obeyed. She did manage to walk a little further before she came to a full stop.

Everyone on the ship let out a sigh of relief. Except for her. She had no idea why she was obeying. She could not move, no matter how hard she tried. It was like she no longer had control of her body and she was nothing but a rag doll. She could only move her eyes and she frantically looked around. She did not know what was going to happen to her next.

"I think she's freaking out," another voice quipped.

The arms around her waist let go of her. She heard footsteps and the man from before came into view. He looked frustrated as he ran his hand messily through his wind-blown blue-black locks. She should be the one who was frustrated!

They locked eyes.

"Rin," he said softly, the wind carrying her name from his lips to her ears. She recoiled a little. She was not sure why he knew her name.

However, his deep, brown eyes were telling her everything she needed to know. At some point, while they had their eyes, locked, she realized that she could trust him. She knew him, somehow. She just didn't remember where or how. But she could trust him.

She did not know why and she was not happy with herself. She didn't believe in fate, destiny, or any of the nonsense women her age prattled about. She lived with her feet on the ground.

"You... you're the one my father told me about,"  she managed to croak out, her gaze transfixed on him. Her voice was hoarse and she spoke softer than she thought she would. He heard her clearly, however. The feeling in her body returned again and she moved her fingers slightly, just to test her control over her body. She shivered as a chilly breeze blew by. Wisps of her hair flowed freely around her, creating a halo effect.

Her father had once warned her that she should not get too comfortable with where she was before he had died. She would eventually have to leave and go on a journey, far from where they lived. He had warned her of the possibility of never returning. She bit her lips. She wished she had been able to commit the place where she had lived her whole life into her memory one last time before she left. It seemed like this was what she was told about. Tears pricked her eyes but she would not cry.

The man, on the other hand, had never seen a sight that beautiful before. Not even when travelling the seven seas. She looked ethereal, but he supposed it had to do with the nature of  _what_ she was.

Together, in an uncanny manner as if there were a spell casted on them, the two spoke the same words unplanned, "He, who travels through the blue abyss shall appear where two entities meet. Fate will spin Her wheel and separation is the end."

"Your time on land has ended," the man said. He extended a hand to her, a soft look in his eyes. He understood that she was scared and he was willing to be patient. That was all she needed to know. "I am Sunggyu and this will be your life now. The sea has been calling for you all of this time."

Why was the sea calling for her? She supposed she could ask that another day. She suddenly felt so exhausted. There were more pressing concerns.

She did not know why she trusted him.

Every word he spoke resonated with her, ringing with truth.

Trembling, she slowly stepped forward and took his outstretched hand.

"Why am I here?" she asked hoarsely. "Why did I have to leave?" She already missed the smell of mint tea and the salty taste of the air that was just right--not too salty and not too grassy. The smell of the sea salt was too strong here and it made her head hurt. The wind was chillier out here and the light from the sun made the water sparkle more than she'd ever known it could sparkle. Perhaps it were more beautiful but leaving the comfort of where she had been her whole life made her hesitant to claim anything of the sort.

He could only give her a small smile. "I cannot tell you now because that would change what is to happen." He gently brushed the palm of her hand with his thumb.

She shivered a little from the gentle gesture.

_"Just know that you will know in due time."_

\--

She did not know what to make of her new life.

Rin had spent at least 7 moons on the rickety, majestic ship yet she had not yet toiled on the deck in the sunlight, nor was she assigned to the blistering kitchen. Instead she was given the freedom to wander through the halls aimlessly, as long as she did not enter any of their private quarters.

She had tried to escape more than once and failed all times. It seemed like at least one person had been lucky enough to discover her each time she tried to leave. Sure, she felt safe around Sunggyu but that didn't negate the fact that she was  _not_  acquainted with anyone really well and the fact that she still had no clue what the hell was going on.

She believed, however, while most of them ignored her presence, Woohyun, the black-haired man that always had a small smile on his face (that was, for the record,  never directed towards her), held some sort of animosity towards her. She was not sure of why or how she managed to get onto his bad side. She did believe that it might be attributed to the fact she did not hold her own on the ship, although she did not come aboard on her own volition. It might be her botched escape plans but she didn't really know.

This particular day, she was wandering aimlessly in the basement corridors, deciding that she liked the damp and musty smell, even though most would say it was a rather terrible smell that was even tastable. She had wandered a bit further than she had meant to--the ship's basement was neverending and dare she say like a labyrinth? Regardless, she should probably head back soon. There was not much down in the basement but she liked being alone. It was awkward to run into the other men on the ship for there was nothing to talk about.

"Young lady."

She whipped around to the source of the sound, recoiling in shock as she saw the person who spoke, taking a few cautionary steps back. It was an old woman who looked to be ancient, imprisoned in a small room where metal bars were erected from the ceiling to the floorboards, separating the corridor and room, preventing her escape. It was a rather peculiar jail cell, in which three of the walls were the metal bars and the fourth was the ship's wooden interior. Rin did notice that slapped on each of the "walls" and even the ceiling and floor was a talisman that appeared to have been written in blood, given the dark, rusted appearance of the ink used to write characters she did not recognize.

The old woman was unkempt; her hair was tangled and matted, greying in some areas. Her teeth were rotting on her bleeding gums and it was apparent that quite a few of her teeth were loose too. She gave Rin a crooked grin that looked feral, as if a wild carnivore had just cornered weak prey. 

"It is you. You, the unfortunate one. Come closer, little one."

Rin knew better than to obey. She took more steps away without realising it.

"Who are you?" Rin demanded.

The old woman gave a shriek-like laugh, clapping gleefully. "Why, I am the Witch of the West. Surely you have heard of me."

Rin has and she could not say that they were very pleasant things either. She had heard stories from her father about the cruelty of the witch towards anyone and everything.She had thought such a character was a myth. However, given the strangeness of the current situation, she didn't doubt it anymore. According to what her father had told her, not one thing the Witch of the West touched did not rot and she was feared far and wide. However, her father had also told her about the witch's uncanny ability to forsee the future, with exact detail too.

The old woman squeezed her arm out towards herthrough the bars but her attempt was futile. Rin took a few steps in the direction she came from. The witch slammed against the ship's interior and she began to cackling to herself. "How strong, how strong," she warbled to herself, the whites of her eyes showing and her tone becoming a high-pitched squeak. "How strong, how strong; uncultivated yet!"

She cackled to herself. Rin was unsure of why she was still there even though she felt very uncomfortable.

"Whatever that man says, do not believe him. He may be yours and you, his, but make no mistake. He will do what he thinks is best," the witch whispered, her voice dropping an octave. A crazed look appeared in her eyes; her eyes were seeing yet not seeing at the same time. She sang, " _The one who believes, loses. Do not believe and you will win._ "

Rin decided that she had enough at the point and turned to head back in the direction she had walked from.

"Do not go, little one. Who will accompany me in this darkness?"

Rin ignored her.

" _N_ o matter," the witch said (to herself or to Rin, she was unsure). The witch began to sing again, an off-tune trill that sounded almost like a bird of prey shrieking.  _"Darkness will be your fate."_

Rin picked up her pace, her hands starting to tremble and her heart pounding in her rib cage.

"Good bye, farewell child. This will be the last time we see each other!" the witch cackled, her voice running after her. Rin shuddered and began to run for it once out of sight, almost tripping over her feet.

She emerged from the basement in due time, the sunlight harshly illuminating the world for her, who had been in darkness for a little while. She decided that perhaps she should head back to her quarters until the lunch bell rang.

As she headed towards the doorway that led up to the upper levels of the ship, she heard someone arguing on the deck, coming from the direction in which she needed to head. Not wanting to interrupt something that seemed very urgent and important, she decided to hide in the doorway that led into the basement.

"She needs to go."

She recognized the deep, honey-like voice. It was Woohyun.

"Having a woman on board is bad luck," Woohyun continued when he was neither rebuked or agreed to for the statement. "We cannot let her run freely around like we're her servants too! She needs to be--"

"I know that you dislike her," Sunggyu's voice calmly interjected then, interrupting what Woohyun was going to say, "but..." he trailed off. The conversation seemed to have been carried elsewhere. 

Rin was not too surprised that Woohyun wanted her to go. She did not feel a particular attachment to the ship or the people on it, despite Sunggyu being kind the first day when she awoke on the ship. Since then, he had kept a cursory and almost formal distance from her. She barely saw him, aside from during meal times and the occassion they passed each other in the corridors of the ship.

Perhaps she should appeal to Sunggyu about leaving when the ship docks next. It was apparent there was not much use for her onboard and it might cause a mutiny at this point, given just how angry Woohyun was with her being there.

Setting off to the upper levels of the ship, she tucked it away at the back of her mind.

\--

It was a perfect night for thinking to herself. So that was exactly what she did.

It was calm and not a single cloud was in sight--there was no moon but it didn't bother her much. The faint glow of a nearby lantern accompanied her. Myungsoo and Sungjong who were often on dock were nowhere in sight, presumably taking a quick break. Nothing eventful had happened that day and they probably wanted some shut-eye.

"What are you doing?"

Rin looked over to her side from where she stood on the decks. She recognized the melodious voice but turned to look at who was addressing her anyway. She did not answer the question.

"Hello Sunggyu," she gave a polite nod.

He just gave a small smile in response. He walked a little closer, leaning against the railing. There was only the sound of the waves lapping against the sides of the ship. They stood there together in silence, though he watched her from the corner of his eyes.

Had it been anyone else, she would have felt awkward. Strangely, it was okay with him...

Her thoughts drifted off to thinking about other things; the breeze and smell of the sea felt just right to her and reminded her of home.

"So?" he asked, making her nearly jump in fright. She had been lost in her thoughts, thinking of her dearly departed father who evoked similar feelings within her. She blinked at him blankly.

"What are you up to?"

"Nothing much," she trailed off, a little wary. It was not often she saw him and they barely spoke whenever they crossed paths... she was okay with entertaining whatever thoughts he had, though.

"Do you like it out here?" he asked. He looked troubled as he played with his hands.

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. She missed her place by the cliff sometimes, however. She wished she could have at least taken a photo of her father with her.

"I don't know," she admitted. It was the truth.

Her days were long and rather boring and it felt not too different from living at her little cabin near the cliff by the sea, in that she had no interactions with other humans. She didn't talk much to anyone else on the ship either so it often felt like she was just wandering the decks without purpose.

She shifted awkwardly in the spot as he looked away from her and out into the distance, a forlorn look on his face. He seemed disappointed and she was unsure why.

"Why am I here?" she finally asked. It had been driving her insane and kept her awake most nights. She was sure that she would find out eventually but she didn't like being kept in the dark. She had no idea what the intentions of anyone on this ship were. 

Sunggyu just gave her a wry smile.

"In due time." It seemed like he was speaking to himself, however. He pushed himself off the railing, walking away with a troubled expression on his face.

She wanted to shout after him that she was so done with his cryptic answer and avoidance of her. Everyone on the ship seemed to tiptoe around her. However, she found it impossible to breathe, let alone speak. Rin could only watch his back fade into the darkness.

The door to one of the inner hallways popped open and Sungjong walked out. He eyed her warily. "What are you up to?" He was one of the ones who often found her and stopped her from escaping the ship.

She just shook her head, "Nothing, just thinking."

Sungjong shrugged, yawning. "Suit yourself. You should go in soon before it gets very chilly."

She gave him a small, grateful smile and he returned it with a small smile too. He walked off towards the stern of the ship, probably making sure they were on the right path, whatever the right path was.

She was just left there by herself, pondering once again.

\--

When the ship docked again fourteen days later, Rin had long forgotten her resolve to leave the next time they docked so that she could head home. The reason being was that after the initial frost, everyone, with the exception of Woohyun, welcomed her on the ship. There were instances she still felt awkward around some of them, but she found everyone to be very likeable.

While she enjoyed almost everybody's company to some extent, it was not the same as living with her father. The bonds she shared with them were fragile and not certain. They were not tied by blood or by obligation. The relationships she had with everyone on the ship was superficial. She could only talk about the weather and random things that did not matter. She could not talk about anything and everything, something she sort of resented. After all, with her father, he always lended a helpful ear for her problems and musings. But then again, she had only met everyone. It was only reasonable that they weren't exactly comfortable with each other.

The crew had come to a reluctant agreement with her that she would only stay if she earned her keep. She didn't feel right free-loading. She was fine with just being let off at the next port but it seemed like that was not an option. There wasn't much for Rin to do, since a lot of the jobs were labour-intense, although she tried to help wherever she could. She usually helped Sungjong with navigation, because two eyes were better than one. For some reason, they were adamant she didn't need to earn her keep at first, but at her insistence, they had let her help out. What was also strange was that it seemed as though they wanted her on the ship, for reasons unbeknownst to her.

Dongwoo and Hoya were involved with the arms of the ship and even if she wanted to help, she wouldn't be of much help because she refused to touch any of the weapons they had. They often shined and polished the weaponry, which she later found out to be stored in the basement (though she wasn't sure where). According to Sungjong, they were the ones with battle tactics (and perhaps more well-versed than Sunggyu was in that respect) and during battles, the two were sufficient enough for loading cannons. Sungyeol often helped the two men, although he was the designated masts crew member that changed which sails were put up to power the ship.

Sunggyu was the captain of the ship, though no one called him as such. He exerted dominance, though it confused her as to how and why the other crew members were able to make fun of him and tease him without any repurcussions. Woohyun was the cook and he dealt with rationing the food that was on board the ship. She would not have minded helping him from time to time but he insisted that she stayed out of his way in case she gave all of them a healthy dose of food poisoning.

She also helped with keeping an eye out on the open sea for any ships, especially naval fleets (she was not sure why, though) with Myungsoo, who was one with very few words. It was of no consequence to her, because she was not much company either; ever since her father's passing, she was used to her own company and seldom spoke, other than during her biweekly visits to the market in the town.

She never really knew how to offer words of comfort to those who tried and did not successfully do what they wanted to do. It had always been her father doing it before he passed. She had always been the one who prepared the warm tea and fed the fire to keep their new guest for the next while warm. Thankfully, it was not often when a storm raged on the shore where she had once lived and even then, it was not guaranteed that someone would happen upon the shore, wanting to accept the icy embrace of the waters.

Rin did wonder, however, who did all of the cleaning for the ship. The ship was always spotless and she had never once seen someone with a mop to mop the floors.

"What are you thinking of?" Sungyeol asked, ushering her off the ship. He was the only one left on board, as well as her. "It's time to get off and get what you need!"

She wasn't sure of what she needed--but then she grimaced, smelling herself. Perhaps a bath and a change of clothes were needed.

When she reached the bottom rung of the rope ladder, Sunggyu was the only one there, waiting. For her or Sungyeol, she was unsure.

"See ya!" Sungyeol said, ditching her at the foot of the ladder as he hopped off the third-last rung and disappeared into the crowded streets. Well that answered her question, she mused.

"You need a change of clothes," Sunggyu said, scrutinizing her appearance. She chose not to comment because she agreed but did not want to verbally agree with him. He cocked his head to the side. "Follow me."

She did so wordlessly. She was not sure what to say, as she did not think there was anything to say. There was an awkward silence between the two of them as they trudged through the busy streets. The marketplace was teeming with farmers advertising their fresh produce with their loud, bellowing voices as customers hurried about to grab the best deals.  Often, Rin noticed that if someone noticed they were heading their way, they would make way for them. 

_Strange._

She shook that thought off. Well, Sunggyu did command presence wherever he went. She studied his back and the way he held himself--he definitely seemed regal with his lack of slouching, and he seemed perhaps out of reach and above everyone. He did not look haughty but there was something about him that commanded respect. He also always had a vacant sort of look in his eyes. Like he were seeing but not at the same time. 

They continued through the cobble stone streets, the rustling of the great, oak trees fading into the distance as they entered a darker area of the city, where a pin drop could be heard and the sounds of mice scurrying through the alleyways travelled by echo. She shivered, an ominous feeling growing in her stomach.

Was he taking her to the outskirts to kill her? But if he killed her on the ship, then it would have been easier to get rid of her body by throwing her into the ocean. She paused.

Sensing her stop, Sunggyu looked behind him, a questioning look in his eyes as they locked eyes. She just shook her head slightly and continued to walk forwards. Sunggyu walked on, now making sure to glance behind once in a while to check on her.

Finally, he paused slightly at a small, old house that was closed with an iron gate. He fished a key out of his pocket, easily sliding the key into the keyhole. The lock came undone with a soft  _click_  and he swung the door open, almost hitting her in the face.

He nodded his head at her to follow him in and she did, the unease not settling until she crossed the threshold. In the creaking, old house that looked like it was going to fall apart, she saw remnants of what seemed to be a family home. The interior was comfy and spacious. A old, worn out couch that appeared to have been sat on umpteen times sat in the corner, right beside the fireplace where picture frames were scattered on the ledge right above it. There was dust everywhere and floating about in the room lit by sunlight penetrating its way through the closed curtains, indicating that no one had been around in a while to clean.

She fought the urge to, but ended up sneezing.

"Bless you," Sunggyu quietly said.

She nodded her thanks. They made eye contact and she saw the emotions running through Sunggyu's face as his eyes casually skimmed across every detail in the room before making its way to the hallway.

This was probably his home before he had left for the sea, she decided. She wondered what happened to his family. Was he alone like her too? Did his old home no longer feel like a home when it became empty too? Was the sea now his home? She wasn't sure if she could say that she had a home right now.

So many questions that she would perhaps never have answers to. He was adamant to hold her at arms' length, she noticed. The others just felt awkward around her so they didn't talk to her much, but with Sunggyu, she found, he avoided her sometimes on purpose. It hurt her a bit, but she guessed there might be a reason behind it so she did not take it too personally.

"Wait here."

He disappeared.

She took the chance to walk towards the fireplace, confirming her thoughts that the house was probably where he used to live. There was a young Sunggyu that was perhaps 5 summers old (she could tell by the lips and eyes), smiling brightly. There were a few more that did not stand out much to her, tracking his growth from a child to a young adult. All of them were outstanding portraits in their own right. They seemed to track the progress of Sunggyu to a young adult that lost his child - like innocence. 

However, what caught her interest was the portrait  of the young woman and the date the artist signed. 1802... perhaps a picture of his grandmother? It was well kept, as if sun never shone on it to weather it. She gently brushed the dust off the frame then left it alone, fingers ghosting it as she walked over to the couch to sit down and wait for Sunggyu.

Sunggyu appeared again a few moments after she sat down. He was lugging a chest in his arms with ease.

"What is that?" she asked, indicating at the chest.

He shrugged carelessly. "You need clothes."

His mother's, perhaps, judging by the intricate and delicate design of the chest. It was definitely not his.

"That's quite alright," she said, pursing her lips. She awkwardly fumbled with her hands in her lap. She felt bad enough that she was still sort of freeloading on the ship and if he were to give her clothes...

Sunggyu appeared to not have heard because he tilted his head in the direction of the door, "Let's go."

Not too long after, they were back at the ship, Sunggyu leaving the chest in her living quarters.

They had stopped by a bath house for her before returning and she was probably paranoid (because she'd never been to one), but she felt that a lot of the women's eyes were on her. They were whispering among themselves as she bathed in peace by herself and they had silenced when she had gotten up to leave.

"You finally look like a woman," Sungyeol joked, bumping his shoulder with hers. She had been covered with grime all over and she had smelled like the ocean (and definitely not the good kind of smell of the ocean) prior to her bath. She just rolled her eyes slightly while Sunggyu narrowed his eyes at the younger man as if communicating with him telepathically. Sungyeol winced and stopped his teasing after that.

They were off again before sunset, not even four hours after docking.

Rin, however, felt a sinking feeling in her stomach as she watched the land disappear into the distance. She felt as if it were the last time she would ever see land again.

She also could not shake off the fact that she had given weird looks too throughout the town as she walked beside Sunggyu.

She shook her head a little bit. Maybe she was too paranoid because she hadn't travelled at all since she were a child. Yes, that was probably it.

"Are you okay?" a voice asked. She looked over, surprised to see Sunggyu.

She nodded, not bothering to fake her usual smile.

He bit his lips, looking troubled once more.


	3. III

_She sat by the window using the ambers of the fire and the moonlight streaming in from the windows to see as she embroidered a bird onto the piece of cloth in her hands that would serve as a handkerchief. She did not find solace in the embrace of sleep often anymore and opted to keep herself busy with little things. He was due to be back soon, since the war he had run off to fight in had been announced to be over 5 moons ago. She was worried, since she had lost contact with for almost 7 cycles of the moon. So, she decided to keep her mind off of him._

_The door to the small hut swung open easily, and she was startled, almost poking herself with the needle that she held in her hands. Turning to the person who had opened the door without knocking, she felt her breath knocked out of her._

_"What are you doing, still up so late?"_

_She stared at the person who had spoken in shock, but then her previously sunken and tired expression brightened._

_"You're home!" She threw herself onto the man, properiety forgotten. He looked beaten and wary, but just the sight of her and her excitement because of his return made him forget all of the pains he had suffered._

_War was not something that people went to fight in for fun. It was not a task for the faint-hearted and many came back haunted. But she was safe and in his arms and he fought for a noble cause--for his kingdom._

_It did not matter to him._

_He placed a small kiss on her cheek, hugging her tightly in his arms. She hugged back witth equal vigour._

\--

She'd been dreaming. They were oddly vivid and it was almost as if she were there herself. She always woke up feeling at loss of what to do--like where she was and what she was doing was not right. The dreams often revolved around herself and Sunggyu--except it wasn't them at the same time.

With the dreams came the weird feelings that crossed her mind whenever Sunggyu made eye contact with her. She was sure the dreams meant something but she did not understand. Both would always look away directly afterwards, both feeling awkward about it. She couldn't help herself either--she often found herself peeking over at him whenever they were in the same vicinity. They never really spoke to each other, however. Something prevented her from speaking to him and he just never seemed to want to initiate the conversation with her. She didn't really mind, but some part of her wondered if he hated her, strange as it would be, since he was the one that brought her aboard the ship himself.

But then her worries about the feelings she had towards Sunggyu became almost non-existent when she began to realize that... weird things were happening around her. It didn't necessarily pertain to how the ship was always clean despite no one scrubbing the decks, although that was a close second--it was about how she could subconsiously control things around her. The weather lately had also been imitating her mood--she was wondering if it were all in her head and that it was all a coincidence.

In the middle of the night, a few nights ago, she needed to go and relieve herself but she needed light. Her candle was on the far side of the room and she decided that she would rather wait until tomorrow morning because the night was chilly. She closed her eyes, ready to go back to sleep. But the candle suddenly appeared by her table side. She'd known because the light suddenly got brighter and opened her eyes, fearing for the worst--that a fire had spread suddenly in her room.

There was another instance where Woohyun was antagonizing her at the dinner table. She would not stand for it, her fists clenching in anger. He was digging into his mashed potatoes. She was praying that something would fling into his face so that he would finally shut up. Needless to say, a good spoonful of his own potatoes ended up catapulting into his face.

His face had turned a really vibrant, cooked-lobster-like red and he had reached across the table, ready to fight her when everyone else jumped in, giving him a reprimanding look. Most of them had begun tuning him out whenever he spoke recently because he was often ranting nowadays, always angry. She supposed that it might have something to do with her.

There were other happenings... but she was very uncomfortable. If she told anyone would she be locked up like the witch downstairs in the deep and lonely basement? She tried looking for answers by seeking the witch again but it seemed that she no longer existed. And as far as she knew, everyone else seemed to be relatively... normal. Was that what the Witch of the West had alluded to? That they would find out that she's different and lock her up?

She kept silent on the matter of her weird abilities, but she kept her ears peeled, wondering if anyone had caught her yet. If they did, they did not show any hints of it. Rin had begun to think of them like her family, albeit a dysfunctional one, where it seemed like everyone had some sort of secret hiding in the deepest, darkest parts of their shadows that followed them everywhere.

Myungsoo, which she had to say, was probably the strangest one of them all, seemed to have some internal demons that were prominent and resurfaced often. He was quirky but there were instances where a very dark look would befall his features, marring the perfect image his face painted. Rin was sure it was none of her business, but it didn't stop her from wanting to ask. It was always on the tip of her tongue whenever she saw that particular look show up on his face, but she didn't want to pry so she left it at that.

On the other hand, it felt like home on the ship, as if she had belonged there all of her life (even though she had to admit that living on a rocking ship was not exactly what she pictured as relaxing...) and she did not want to leave even though there was an empty, gnawing feeling that never disappeared no matter how much she enjoyed the company of the others. 

However, one day, after Sungjong asked for her to grab a map from Sunggyu to help him with navigation, she happened upon a conversation she probably should not have heard. Sunggyu, who was resting in his room after steering them through one of the worst storms she had experienced since she had joined them, was talking to Woohyun. She had then realized that the witch was locked downstairs for other reasons.

"She's been a thorn at our side for far too long. It's about time we move her to a more permanent encagement." It was Woohyun. After a heartbeat, he added, "Preferably somewhere with no sunlight. So she can rot." There was some chuckling on the other side of the door. Rin raised her hand to knock then but stopped. She was curious and wanted to eavesdrop.

"Soon," Sunggyu's voice said. "But we have another problem aside from that..." Her heart beat faster in her chest.

She never found out who they were talking about nor the next topic at hand because the door swung open. Woohyun was glaring at her. She probably looked strange because her mouth was agape, and her hand was frozen in the air, about to knock but she never did.

"Did you need something?" he scowled at her, narrowing his eyes at her.

"The map," she replied, deciding to not meet his eyes as she replied. The man was quite intimidating on the days she didn't feel like dealing with him. She grabbed the map from Sunggyu with haste, her skin tingling where her fingers touched Sunggyu's. 

She walked back to Sungjong with the map immediately after receiving it, knowing that they would know if she didn't leave immediately and tried stalling at the doorway to overhear their conversation.

However it haunted her for many nights to come. She tossed and turned, never finding solace in sleep's embrace. She found herself lulled reluctantly into sleeping by the rocking ship and the white noise the waves provided.

She was sure the next topic they were going to talk about was her. Maybe even the topic at hand.

"What's been bothering you?" Sungjong had asked her after her fourth night in the row with no decent sleep. He had been the only one that bothered to ask compared to the others. She was sure the others noticed--she was naturally very pale and her eye bags had become so prominent. She had just given him a small smile. "I'm unsure to be quite honest."

She didn't want to voice her concerns in fear of being outcasted and while she found everyone on the ship nice and familiar, it did not mean that she trusted them or felt comfortable with talking to them about her fears and worries. Not only that, her dreams had been becoming more and more vivid. It seemed to be from a timeline far removed from the present--many many centuries ago. It seemed as though she was recounting her previous life... but she had never believed in voodoo or anything occult related to magic or fantasy... so she decided to leave it at that.

"Let me know whenever you feel like talking," Sungjong kindly said, his eyes reflecting that he did not quite believe her lie of not knowing what was bothering her.

"Yea," she emptily promised, her smile stretching a little bit more (something she rehearsed often, back when she had to visit the town the first month after her father passed on).

To pretend with a thick mask, was to believe yourself.

\--

_They were young children when they'd met._

_They were both from modest backgrounds and both led rather ordinary lives that were not notable. He was the son of a merchant while she was the daughter of a blacksmith. Their fathers owned stores in the marketplace across from each other so it was only natural that they eventually met._

_He remembered it was raining that day. Business was slow and his father decided that it was time to close up the store and head home. Sunggyu had gone along with his father because his mother had gone back to her hometown for the week to visit her ailing mother. She was going to be due back in a night._

_"Bring this over to the man across the street that sells knives," his father had indicated to the young boy, dropping a few coins into the palm of his hand after asking Sunggyu to extend his palm out._

_"What's this for?" Sunggyu asked, although he knew it was not his place to ask. Children were meant to be seen but not heard, so his mother had said._

_"I was short on a few coins yesterday at the butcher," his father had absentmindedly said. "Run along now before he closes up too. We need to head home too."_

_Sunggyu nodded his head and darted across the street after making sure to look both ways before crossing, lest he be flattened by a horse. He wasn't that wet since the rain was light and he barely felt it. However it was cool (and refreshing), so he shivered a little as a small breeze blew by. He entered the shop with knives displayed everywhere, eyes darting around to take in the weapons. He entered the store often enought to not be fazed but it didn't mean he couldn't admire the beautiful displays. His eyes roamed and made eye contact with the kind man he recognized that often stopped by his father's shop across the street._

_"Hello Mister," six-year-old Sunggyu said. He tippy-toed to reach up to the counter, placing the coins his father had given him just moments earlier. "This is from my father." He backed up a little ot catch the kind smile of the man._

_"Thank you Sunggyu. It's best you head back before the rain picks up."_

_Sunggyu nodded, "Bye sir." He gave him his best smile._

_He made to return to his father's store when he caught movement from the corner of his eyes. Sunggyu turned to see a young girl about his age there, shyly peeking out from beside the counter and staring at him._

_"Who are you?" Sunggyu rudely blurted. The young girl immediately hid behind the counter again._

_The man chuckled and Sunggyu looked back to him, making eye contact. "That's Rin."_

_Sunggyu was intrigued. He didn't know any other kids that were quiet and shy. Woohyun who lived across the street was very annoying and talkative. Nabi, Woohyun's little sister, was also really annoying and talked way more than Woohyun. All of the other children who helped their moms in the fields during harvesting season were also loud and annoying._

_So every time he returned to the shop from then on, he asked about the little girl. She was often there and did not reciprocate any form of communication. However, she was indeed curious as well because she often just stared from behind the counter shyly, watching him mutely._

_It wasn't until four years after they first met that she talked to him._

_He learned later that she was reluctant to speak to strangers because she had a lisp that some people tormented her about._

_He found it very cute and endearing._

_"Sunggyu."_

_It was only fitting that the first word he heard from her was his name._

\--

She pushed at what was on her plate with her pair of chopsticks, unable to even pick up anything to eat. She had not had an appetite in so long.

"Rin."

Rin looked up from her dinner plate, heart pounding. It seemed as though everyone else at the dinner table froze too for a millisecond, before everyone proceeded to eat and talk. The voice always laughed and sassed others but it had not addressed her in a very long time.

"Yes?" she asked, making eye contact with Sunggyu. He looked tormented by something.

"... never mind."

She frowned slightly but hid it quickly with a small smile. He only frowned in return, looking like he wanted to say something but decided not to.

She did notice, however, that he appeared to be glancing at her out of the corner of his eyes often after that particular moment. He always looked like he wanted to say something but never did in the end. For some reason, she felt disappointed but brushed it off as wanting attention of some sort. She had been feeling rather down lately. This was the first time since her father's passing that she was always around people, but they didn't share the closeness and comfort she shared with her father... and it made her feel very lonely.

She just pressed on through dinner without letting the lonely gnaw at her for too long.

Her father visited her in her dreams a few nights later, as if he were responding to her desperate want for him to be here with her. However, she was also sure that it was a sign of something to come. She had not met him in her dreams since he had passed. In fact, she had never dreamed of anything quite the same.

The other dreams she had before throughout her live and since she had boarded the ship unwillingly were like she was walking through memories. This time, it felt like her body and soul were separate entities that did not exist in the same plane.

"My child... Rin," he quietly murmured, his eyes wary and his wrinkles appearing more prominent than she'd remembered. Rin reached out to him, craving his warm touch but she touched nothing but air, her hands going through his translucent ones.

He gave her a sad, wry smile. "We do not exist in the same plane."

She could only give a small, sad smile of her own in return. She knew but she wanted to reach out anyway, just in case.

"I do not have much time," he said, a pained look on his face. "My daughter... I sometimes wonder why Fate is so cruel."

She opened her mouth to ask her father what he meant but he interrupted her. "I do not have much time," he repeated again. "But your destiny has changed again."

"Please," he added as an after thought, "please leave." Leave where? Leave the ship? She was tempted to--but if she was found trying to leave, maybe they would stop her. No one has told her the reason why she was on whatever journey they were on.

His transclucent form was beginning to become transparent. "Fate may have decided but She allows you to take charge. Don't let Her decide. Don't let _him_ decide for you. Decide for yourself."

Tears swarmed her eyes, confusion seeping into her, mixed with frustration. She reached out for him desperately, even though she knew it was futile, "Don't leave me!"

The last she saw of him was a full-hearted smile that seemed to be laced with some regrets. He disappeared with tears in his eyes, his eyes speaking millions of unsaid words.

She woke up with a start, panting. Her sheets were strewn messily across the bed, parts of it twisted with her legs. She was coated in cold sweat that did not help, given that the night time was always cold. Through the window, she could see that the moon was still hanging in the sky, not a hint of dawn on the horizon. She wept and she wept, her sobs so painful that she did not make a single noise.

It may have felt like home on the ship but she felt empty.

She was sure that the life she was living and leading on this ship did not belong to her--for why else did she feel so restless and an acute sense of not belonging where she was? The tides were going to change once again. She debated if she wanted to leave now. She could slip away into the night if she managed to avoid everyone else. But she decided maybe she should stay for just a little while longer. 

She did not realize just how soon that her fate would change..

\--

_"I want a child."_

_The young lady laughed at her husband who was pouting rather cutely at her. She cupped his face in her hands, leaning in towards him, a bright smile on her face. He leaned in towards her too, stealing a quick peck._

_"In due time, I believe that Mother Nature will give us what we want," she told him, grabbing on of his hands to hold. "But for now," she tugged on his hand, stepping away from him, "we need to go to the market and get fresh vegetables."_

_He gave her a soft smile. "I hope we have good news by the end of spring."_

_At the end of spring, however, came bad news._

\--

It was eerily quiet on the ship. Often she could hear the others chuckling among themselves but it seemed as though everyone was cast away somewhere and out of hearing range.

Quietly closing the door to her room behind her, she walked through the hallway that led up to the deck.

There, she was greeted with a strange sight.

There were ten people--five men and five women that she did not recognize, including the seven men that she had been spending time with for the past while. The newcomers had distinct features that screamed that they were other-worldly and too perfect to be human. Their ears too, were far too pointy to be of human origin.

One of the floorboards creaked underneath her weight as she walked closer curiously. It prompted everyone on deck to look at her at once and there was a hushed silence.

"Is this the princess?" a calculating man spoke up, eyeing her up and down with a frown. He looked and seemed powerful, give that his voice was so melodious and deep. She felt offended by the way he looked at her but felt that it was best to not say anything.

"Yes," Sunggyu answered, his voice sounding detached and cold. Rin had to look over to make sure it was the man she knew--after all, she did not know him well but never had he ever sounded like such.

"I see," the man smiled, but his smile did not reach his eyes. It was ominous and downright scary. She took a tentative step back.

"Now, now, don't be like that," he laughed, though she could hear the warning in his voice. "Is that the way you should treat your husband-to-be?"

Rin was beyond confused now. She turned to the men that she had spent the past few weeks on the ship with, "What's going on?"

None of them looked at her. She spun around to face the man again, her eyes narrowing. An uncomfortable feeling was churning in her stomach and it threatened her to empty the contents of her stomach. Above, the sky began to darken.

"My, my, stop being so dramatic," the man mused, walking over to her slowly and lazily, like a predator stalking its pray. "I take it that your powers have not awakened fully yet? I don't feel any Force coming from you. Well, nothing other than raw Force that is controlled by your emotions."

"What are you talking about?" she asked again, feeling her heart beat accelerating as the man with an ominous feeling to his very being advanced towards her. Thunder clapped in the distance.

The other nine people she did not know watched with amusement while Sunggyu and his crew did not even look at her at all. She was frozen to her spot, unable to move.

"I do suppose I should just remove that nuisance of a seal your mother placed onto you."

He sneered at her. Slowly but in a very rough yet somehow graceful manner, he lifted his hand and roughly grasped her by the top of her head. She immediately felt a sharp pain.

"Stop," she cried out, trying to get away from him. She tried slapping his hand away with her hands but he caught both of them in his other, free hand easily. He looked thoroughly amused that she was even trying to escape. She let out a shriek as another sharp pain hit her. She glared at him through her teary eyes. He just smirked in response.

Then the pain ceased and the man shoved her by the head backwards. She toppled over and onto the ground, gasping for air. She squinted her eyes as she sat up from where she was pushed down, suddenly finding everything too bright, the sound of the waves far too loud, and the world humming with too much energy. Thunder clapped again in the distance and she shuddered from the mere sound of it.

What more, she noticed, was that there was a red string tied onto her pinky finger. She swallowed, tentatively following the string that snaked its way across the deck of the ship and connect with Sunggyu's pinky finger. She swallowed hard. That was the reasoning why she had felt unexplainably comfortable around him, she supposed.

Noticing where her eyes wandered, the man before her sneered, walking up and leaning in towards her. She had no doubt he could also see the red string. She recoiled a little, leaning away. His face was a mere inch from her face but she would not give him the satisfaction of her looking at him.

"It's too bad,  _Rin_ ," she shivered, feeling as though her name had been dirtied. "He owes me and you have belonged to me since you were born, ever since your mother had run away."

He stood up properly and she inched away once again. He just sneered at her actions. Dusting himself, as if interacting with her was something very below him, he walked back to where everyone else on the deck stood.

"I will be back in one fortnight to collect my wife. Clean her up so that she is..." he trailed off, snorting to himself. "Presentable." The other companions snickered too. "I can't embarrass myself by having her around me looking like that. I like white so dress her in such. She is, after all, going to be a bride."

He walked towards the railing of the ship, his nine companions following him. He turned back towards Rin, sneering, "My name is Rae by the way. Rae of the Cardinal Sea."

The name was familiar. She shuddered, recalling the stories of the mythical tyrant who was half-sea-beast and half-man who ruled the northern seas with his iron fist. They were told to her by her father--though if there were any bias involved, she was no longer sure. But based on how Rae was like, she was sure that her father had not lied about his descpicable ways.

He jumped into the sea with the others, a small splash sound heard each time another person dropped into the waters. What was left in his wake was a series of confusion and unhappiness.

No one moved for a very long time.

But finally, Sunggyu walked up to her, a really sad look on his face. Rin did not speak and she was not going to forgive. She glared at him. Then looked down at the string in which their pinkies were attached. His eyes flickered to do the same, his eyes laced with regret.

She gave him a forlorn look.

He did not attempt to explain himself.

It began to rain.

\--

_She was like a withering rose; so beautiful yet so tragically ill._

_"Promise me," she had asked of him with her last dying breath, "promise me you'll be happy."_

_He had kept mum._

_He did not tell her about the witch he had visited in the mountains--he had begged the old hag for help for her but alas, there was not much the witch could do to change the future where death was concerned. The Witch of the West was useless. She had laughed in his face and told him it was his fault for not granting a dying man's wish. Sunggyu thought of that man that he had slain on the last day of the war right before peace was declared._

_He deserved unhappiness--he had been able to return back to his wife unharmed. The other man was 6 feet under and there was now a widow and child out there that could have been prevented._

_But the witch was able to help him make sure that he would find her when she was reborn. Or at the very least, that one of them would be aware of their entwined fates. He fingered the vial that sat innocently in his pant pocket; it was traded for a piece of his soul. It would ensure that he lived long enough to see her next birth and make sure they ended up together. The witch had told him that the fates were fickle. You didn't always end up with who was fated for you. But Sunggyu was determined to hold on tightly to Rin._

_He loved her so so much. He could not imagine a life with her completing him. He wanted to fulfill what could not be fulfilled this time around._

_He did not tell her of the concoction that sat in his pocket. He did not confess of his guilt, what haunted him the nights he heard her coughing dearly and hung on to her life, and how he planned to punish himself. He was sure that he had brought the illness home with him from the war. He'd wronged a man. He'd slain a man who had surrendered, who begged to be spared because he had a wife and child at home (but Sunggyu did not listen to his pleas). Sunggyu deserved this pain. He wanted to atone for the blood on his hands until he could see her again._

_"Rest now, my love," he quietly murmured, not promising her anything._

_She gave him a small smile, not realizing he had not promised._

_She drifted off._

\--

Rin shut herself in her room for the rest of the day, deciding she would rather not see anyone. They obviously didn't care much for her at all, either. How else could they have sold her to that man named... Rae. She did know, however, from her heightened senses, that there were two people standing outside her door since the time she locked herself in. They wanted to make sure that their cargo didn't escape, she scoffed.

It continued to rain, even though it was sunny.

So she sat there quietly as the sun made its ascent into the cloudy, grey sky and the people standing outside her door changed until the sun made its descent back down from the sky and the moon replaced it. She was feeling numb.

It still rained.

She felt faint and exhausted. She had reason to believe that she was the cause for the weather outside.

She tugged on the red string on her pinky, quietly contemplating and wondering over and over again. The red string tied together the pinkies of two people who were fated to be together. Sunggyu obviously knew from the beginning that they were fated yet he ended up delivering her anyway to Rae.

Why?

A silent tear made its way down her cheek. She was so heartbroken; perhaps it was because she was indirectly rejected by the person she was meant to be with. The string was no longer opaque but beginning to turn translucent. She was sure that it was not going to exist come the morning.

She had watched it fade and fade and fade.

Without realizing it, her vision began to swarm with tears. As each tear made its journey down her pale face, another tear replaced its place in her eyes and followed its predecessor.

She tugged again on the string that was tied comfortable around her pinky, watching as it made a small wave from her end that perhaps travelled to the other end. If Sunggyu were her fate and he did not want her or want to fight for her, then what was the point in knowing that they were destined? She sat there watching as it faded as each second on a clock somewhere out there ticked.

The door to her room opened, moonlight beaming in softly, gently kissing every corner of the room so that shadows would not enclose around her.

She squinted through her tears, as the figure walked towards her and sat on the edge of her bed, right by her. A familiar, musky scent filled her senses and without even needing to concentrate more on the figure before her, she knew exactly who it was.

"I didn't want to."

She did not speak. She refused to. Not to the man who was okay with giving her away to a monster.

"I made a promise with Rae. He said that as long as I helped him claim back what was him I could cross his oceans all the time with his protection." He sucked in a deep breath. "We made a blood oath. I can't back out of it without facing the repercussions."

He chuckled darkly to himself, "I should've known. I didn't know why he was so thorough and he wanted a blood oath with all of us when perhaps only me alone should have been enough. He was so thorough there's no loopholes. He must have known that you were..." he broke off, not able to continue his sentence.

A blood oath. What was that?

As if hearing her thoughts (though she didn't doubt he probably could), he explained, "It's where you sign a contract by mixing your blood with the other person you sign the contract with. The party who breaks the contract is made a slave to the person who honoured the contract. I signed a blood oath with him. I could not have gotten out of it."

With a small voice, he added, "All of us, actually."

Why didn't he try to at least fight against it? Why was he so willing to let her go to the man?

She shuddered, knowing that her days would not be great with Rae. A sob got caught in her throat.

He had distanced himself all of this time because he didn't want to get too attached. She was not sure if she was angry or glad. She was sure it would hurt more right now if she were more attached too.

Did he not look for--

"I searched," he heartbrokenly said, knowing what she wanted to ask. "I searched far and wide during these few weeks that we had on borrowed time and I came up with nothing. I couldn't find anything to get me out of this blood oath. I tried to be as nonchalant as I could be with the others about this but trust me, it was killing me inside too."

She did not speak. She did not look at him.

"I'm sorry," he said with a small voice. "I didn't know what I was getting into and I cannot even dig myself out of it."

She understood where he was coming from, sad to say now that she has listened. It was one life for the exchange of seven. One person that they barely knew for their own. It was the most obvious decision to make, though not the bravest nor nicest.

He quietly muttered, "We don't always get everything that we want. That's all I can keep telling myself. It won't comfort you because you had no choice at all. I would be willing to put everything down and give myself up for you so you would not end up with him..." A tear quietly trailed down his cheek. "But there's a reason for all of this. I can't tell you now. You will know in due time."

She hated the secrecy and the fact that he could never tell her straight up exactly why he did things the way he did. She supposed that it gave her another reason to not be as sad as she could be.

"If it makes you feel better..." he hesitated. His voice cracked, but he pushed forward with what he wanted to say. "The child you conceive if you go on about this route... she will be the one to end his life with her own hands. She will end him and stop him from being a tyrant."

She just took in a deep breath, blinking away the tears. She just nodded her head a little bit.

"You're brave."

It was a simple sentence but that was exactly what she needed to hear. It reminded her of her father because he used to say the exact same words to her when she was a kid and woke up from a nightmare.

A small yelp was released from her throat, a hiccup of sorts as she reached out to hug him. She was not sure if he would reject her or not--after all, they were not really close. They didn't really speak to each other, either. But he somehow knew she needed someone and she would not let the opportunity to pass. She may not know him but her heart did.

"Please," she said, burying her face into his shoulder as she encircled her arms around his waist. He reciprocated the hug, gently patting her on the back as he ran his other hand through her hair in a repetitive fashion, combing through her silky tresses.  _Please don't give me to him._

She did not speak it but both knew what she wanted and couldn't finish saying.

The moon travelled across the sky during the time they spent in that position, the only witness to their moonlit embrace. When she had finally stopped crying, he made a move to detach himself from her but she clung on tightly. She needed the comfort, knowing where she was going to be the following morning. She opened her mouth, having finally garnered the courage from the depths of her despair and asked what she wanted to ask.

" _Please don't make me go,_ " she whispered. It was futile but she asked it of him anyway.

He did not reply, though his heart sank, for he did not want to promise anything he was not going to be able to keep.

He watched as the red string became transparent. It was still there but it felt so fragile, so tender, and almost non-existent. It felt like a stray piece of a spider's homely web wrapped around his pinky with a caress. He blinked away his tears, knowing that she was still crying.

She gave him a soft kiss on the lips. He was shocked and he did not know how to respond to that.

Her eyes were desperate.

They did not love each other. They just knew that they belonged to each other and they could have been. But there was a longing between the two of them that could not be described. It was going to be their last time together. The two of them felt it in their bones.

"Please... embrace me." She gave him a hesitant smile through her tears that he did not deserve.

And so he did.

\--

The following morning, with a solemn look on her face, Rin made her way to the upper deck, wearing a pure white, lace dress that had a train that trailed after her magnificently. In her hands were a bouquet of white daffodils. Her eyes were bloodshot but no one commented on it.

She had woken up alone to the sound of someone knocking on the door to her room; the other side of the bed was cold for a very long time when she had reached over. She was not particularly surprised, although she was disappointed and hurt. 

Sungjong had entered then.

She was presented the white wedding dress that looked a little faded but nonetheless beautiful by Sungjong, The young man had a very apologetic look on his face as he had passed it over to her that morning. "It was his mother's," was all he said.

She chose not to comment. She didn't know what to say anyway.

Standing by the railing were the seven men she had come to know to some degree. All were lined up in a perfect line, with Sunggyu the closest to the railing. None of them could look at her in the eyes. She wanted to shout at them that it was her that was being sacrificed so that the least they could do was look at her in the eyes and send her away. Sunggyu, especially, seemed to think that the floorboards were particularly interesting.

The ship teetered dangerously as the waves below thrashed ferociously. She was controlling it somehow--it definitely reflected her mood as her stomach lurched, thinking of what was to come after she jumped into the dark abyss below. It did not look very welcoming, even though she was the cause of the ferocious waves.

She stepped towards the railing slowly, each step making her heart sink. She had already said her goodbye to Sunggyu last night, although the words were not said. Actions speak louder than words.

Without looking at him or anyone else for that matter, she took a deep breath. If she looked over she would break down crying and she did not want to cry in front of people who would not even look at her. She climbed onto the railing with little difficulty, her naked feet peeking out from underneath the long dress.

Closing her eyes, she took one last breath of oxygen from air and she jumped.


	4. IV

**WARNING: Mention of rape, suicide, dark thoughts, etc. Please do not read if you are vulnerable!**

\--

"Will you regret this?" Sungjong asked him quietly after she had jumped into the Cardinal Sea to meet what was in store for her. Sunggyu was sure that it was anything but pleasant, the experience she would have with Rae of the Cardinal Kingdom.

They were the only ones that still remained on the deck after everyone else had gone about to do their own things, pretending to be oblivious to the emotions running through the older man whom they all respected. It was a difficult decision but he had decided to ignore his own happiness--even though he had been waiting for so long for her. 

Sunggyu was unsure if he was thankful or wary of the younger man's concerns. He was staring at the spot from where she had jumped off and into the sea. He could not feel anything. He was numb.

"Of course I will," Sunggyu quietly said. "But what choice did I have? No matter what I chose, I would have regretted."

He had no choice in what he chose and no matter what he chose, he would be wrong.

She was not the same Rin that he knew but it was still her. He didn't love her in this lifetime yet but he knew that if he were given the chance, if he had given them the chance, then he would have eventually loved her. But he pushed her away and held her distant so he had no idea what would have become of them had he gotten to know her properly. He didn't think he wanted to know--it wasn't hard to imagine that he would love her somehow because she was his Rin. But it was difficult too, to know for sure--he didn't know much about the current Rin.

What did she like? How was she really like? She never let her guard down around them. He didn't blame her. They were all strangers.

He supposed being soulmates did not save the fact that they were also strangers--she was bound to have reservations around him and because he held her at arms' length, they never really spoke or talked to each other. He wondered if she had dreams. What did she want to do with her life?

He shook away those thoughts. It was of no consequence. She was now with Rae and she was his to keep.

Sungjong opted to not say anything and the two of them silently stood there, feeling a profound loss that could not be explained.

\--

Rin learned of her origins by staying with Rae of the Cardinal Sea. It was not by choice but she did not have a means of leaving and she was not going to be set freed by the tyrant. She was followed wherever she went and she was never left alone.

She had tried to escape once and she was punished. She had also lashed out at Rae initially. Both incidents left her black, blue and red and so exhausted that she did not attempt again.

She was often left alone and the subject of stares by those around her. It was more peaceful to live there, more so than she had originally expected at the beginning. That did not mean that she hated Sunggyu any less for putting her in this position.

She was sad; sad that he was not able to do anything more for her, his soulmate, when she first arrived at the Cardinal Kingdom, but that slowly turned into hate for the man. Now, she was not sure what she felt for him at all anymore.

The red string that tied the two of them together was no more. If it were there, it was transparent and weighed close to nothing because she was very sure it had snapped already. Perhaps her inner turmoil and undetermined feelings toward the man made it impossible to feel it was there because she did not like to think of him when she could help it.

She was always left with a hollow feeling.

She learned that her mother was a siren princess from a distant kingdom. The kingdom no longer existed, having been conquered by Rae of the Cardinal Sea in his rage when he learned that his bride-to-be had run away and eloped with a werewolf of all people. Most of the people of the East Kingdom had perished in the war, save for a few key figures that Rae still kept around to gloat in their faces.

She mused when she learned of her late father's true form; well that certainly explained how he was able to apparently build the home they lived in for many years with his own bare hands, as so told by the people in the nearby town. It also explained how he seemed to know so much about her future--he was well acquainted with the supernatural. She just wished she didn't have to learn it from someone else.

She also learned more about Sunggyu and his crew long after they had left her to fend for herself.

Rae liked using it to taunt her; he found it greatly amusing that she knew nothing about Sunggyu. He told her about Sunggyu and the crew actually being the most feared outlaws in the Eastern Seas; that their goal was to overthrow the unjust ruler, the King of Daehan, unknown to everyone far and wide; that they were known as infamous Crowned Liberty, which explained why they got weird looks in the town that they had stopped in all of those weeks ago. They were all creatures of the night; that if they were caught by any officials of Daehan, they would automatically be executed since mythical creatures were not supposed to exist. An abomination of the Heavens.

She also found out that Sunggyu and Rae were half-brothers. More particularly, Sunggyu was the younger one by a few hundred years and also the son of an angel and a sea witch that used to rule the Cardinal Kingdom; an odd match. Rae was the son of a sea monster and the witch. Rae's soul was dark, unlike his younger half-brother's. He had inherited the kingdom left behind by his mother but he was unhappy and lonely, for he was the unwanted child. He had been abandoned by her since the birth of Sunggyu, she learned. Sunggyu was the favoured one--Rae was birthed from unfortunate circumstances which led to his mother's dismissal of him at a young age.

She could not sympathize with him even if she had wanted to.

Rin also found out that they needed safe passage through Cardinal Sea in order to plan their attack; the fortress the King of Daehan had no watchdogs for the side facing Cardinal Sea because there existed a pact between Rae and the late King that for riches Rae would offer his services of making sure there were no tresspassers. The son of the late king had no idea it only applied when the late King was alive. But that didn't mean Rae would let anyone travel through his waters safely without a price.

Rin began to understand Sunggyu slowly from Rae's taunting and she found that she could not hate him anymore for leaving her with this vile man--the hate that she had for him slowly ebbed into something full of understanding and perhaps wondering of how he was doing. It was a far stretch to say she admired the man and loved him. No, that was impossible now. Especially with how she suffered with Rae.

Sometimes one person had to sacrifice for the greater good. She happened to be the one. There was no guarantee that her sacrifice would be put to good use but it was better than having no chance at all, she supposed.

She sometimes wondered if she ever really knew anyone in her life. She supposed no, because she barely knew Sunggyu and the others. But she was unhappy that she did not evidently know much about her parents now. Everything that she learned about everyone who had touched upon her life significantly was learned through the mouth of the most despicable man alive.

The unhappiness ate away at her without fail; each day proving to be more difficult than the previous to continue holding on. Sometimes she wondered if she should end it all but she was afraid of becoming nothing but sea foam; the fate of all sirens after they died.

She also learned that Rae was even worse behind closed doors than he was in public. If she thought he was uncouth and unrefined as he sat in his throne room like he owned the world and that everyone should be thankful of his presence, she was even more dismayed to find out that he thought everyone should kiss the ground he walked on simply because he was Rae.

She let him have his way with her during the nights he wanted to gloat in her face that she was powerless to him.

The borders to the kingdom were huge, the walls in which the castle was built from enclosed such a large space--but she had never felt more trapped than she ever did before.

"I've won," he maniacally would cackle to his own delight. He had won in the end--he ended up getting the untouchable princess' daughter from the kingdom he conquered and he bested Sunggyu, whom he hated, by acquiring his soulmate. There was no guarantee that Sunggyu would win the ultimate war and aid in the downfall of the monarchy in Daehan.

Sunggyu, the man who could walk both land and water with repercussions and no one thought was a beast, even though they were cut from the same womb. Oh how Rae hated his very being with a passion.

A crazed expression never failed to appear on his face the nights she had to bear with his presence. She would just blankly stare at the ceiling above, waiting for him to finish to his convenience.

There was no point in fighting, if she had to be honest. Sure, she had powers as heir to the long lost kingdom, but she had no one to help her hone her powers. Her grandfather--if she could even call him that--she had met just a week or two ago and the look of disgust on his face was enough for her to know that she should stay away from the male siren. She had been hopeful, learning from Rae that she still had family left. She should've known by the malicious glint that was too amused for someone like him, who only liked the misery of others, for it to have meant anything good for her. The former king had coolly dismissed her after they made eye contact. She had felt her heart sink to the pits of her stomach. It was then she realized just how lonely her existence really was.

Her handmaidens were not to be trusted, for they were Rae's own children from previous women that were vying for his favour so they could take over the kingdom from him one day. The sea kingdoms were okay with female rulers.

There was no one there for her.

Her nights were plagued by visits from Rae and if she were lucky, her nightmares. She no longer dreamed of her previous life--there was no point in doing so because it would make her wonder what could have been.

When she further realized three months into her miserable existence in the Cardinal Kingdom that she no longer had her monthly bleeding, she feared for the worst. She had placed her hand on her abdomen, searching and hoping. She was so close to giving up on her miserable self--this would set everything in stone, depending on...

She closed her eyes, using the little magic she could control to confirm what she had hoped.

She could hear her heart thudding hard in her chest as she shakily decided that she needed to protect this life within her at all costs. She had to find a way to cast a seal to hide the baby's true identity. Perhaps it was time to see the Sea Witch. Tears welled in her eyes as she quietly caressed the little bump she now sported.

"Thank God," she had murmured to herself.

At least she had a piece of him with her, even though she did not love him and he did not love her--at least, that was what she believed. It was then she felt as though the red string was still there. But she did not dare hope, because it meant Sunggyu was also holding onto the thought of there being  _them_  desperately, even though their Fates were muddied and they were not meant to be. She reached out to her pinky finger, where the string used to sit. She caressed it, a steely resolve forming within her. She would live for the child, no matter how difficult it was.

She no longer needed the red string of fate as a lifeline. She did not want him to know of her child. He had no business in sticking his head into her business, if he ever decided to. All rights that he had were forfeited when he had given her up. She had the child now.

The red string had broken off the night she found out about the child.

Sunggyu had been alarmed because he thought that she had died--he had sent for word about her and found out that she was still alive, through his intelligence network. He was relieved when the missive came back--she was still alive. However, he had no idea about the fact that she was with a child and the origin of the child.

On the other hand, Rae had wanted nothing to do with the child, given that it was not a boy, as foretold by the best fortuneteller in the Cardinal Kingdom. It was okay. She did not want Rae to want to have anything to do with her child.

When the baby girl was born, she named her Spring.

A breath of fresh air to the otherwise slowly dying woman, who had exchanged the safety of the child for her own life with the Sea Witch.

\--

When asked about why he hated Rin so much by the others, much later on, Woohyun would respond that he had no idea why but he thought that the woman was not going to bring anything good to the crew or any of their plans.

He was right and wrong at the same time.

He was right in that she would affect all of them.

He was wrong in saying that she would foil all of their plans of freeing Daehan.

After all, she was the one who had made it possible for their plans to carry through.

\--

Roughly two years later, the King of Daehan fell. In its place was a democratic system that had been secretly gaining traction and organization before the attack on the Daehan Castle, that abolished slavery and money laundering that ran rampant amoung officials. There was whispers on the street that it was the Crowned Liberty's doing. That they were the silent matyrs that led to the victory of the civilllians against the corrupt crown. After all, ever since the downfall of King Daehan, no one had heard of a whisper of what became of the outlaws nor saw a hair of the ghost ship.

Others thought that they were in it with the King of Daehan and perished with him by the overtaking of the castle.

Either way, no one really pondered for long. No one had much time to wonder about outlaws of a previous tiime when there were brighter and happier things to think about. The future seemed bright and there was so much to look forward to, now that there was democracy in the country. Speaking your mind was no longer frowned upon and there was no longer unreasonable rationing. How long the newly establihed government and its fair ways would last was another issue--for now, everyone in the country was happy, save for the punished who aided in the previous era.

Rin, however, had never learned of the victory.

She also did not learn that they returned for her, two months too late, destroying the Cardinal Kingdom, leaving behind nothing but carnage and dead bodies littering the kingdom, and left no stones unturned, searching for her. She was long gone and so was Rae, who had learned that they were coming for him beforehand and escaped with the child he thought was his own flesh and blood.

She did not learn of what became of her daughter that she had thought of with her last dying breath, praying that Spring would live. She prayed that the seal that she placed on her daughter was enough to hide her true paternal origin. She hoped somehow that Sunggyu would find Spring, but she did not think that it was something that was fated so she did not bother praying to the Heavens above.

She died a year after the birth of Spring, when the lush cherry blossoms began to bloom on Daehan. She thought of where she had lived before all of this, before she'd met Sunggyu, and she wondered how it would look now. She wondered if the quaint town in Daehan still existed.

For the man who had left her behind and was then left behind, he wondered often. He did not sleep well at all. Never had, since he had to give her up for the greater good.

There had been no promises of saving her; Sunggyu recalled on the nights he could not sleep. Sunggyu had thought it was inappropriate, given how he did not want to give hope in the chance that she did not survive long enough or if she used it as a reason to rebel against Rae.

Sunggyu could only ponder on the nights he had to himself, long after the Crowned Liberty abolished and the members went their separate ways, looking out into the vast expanse of the sparkling, blue ocean if maybe he should have.

It would have given her a reason to live on.

But she had to live for herself--so perhaps it would not have worked out anyway.

He could not shake off the fact that he was missing something in his life. He attributed it to the fact that his soulmate was no longer around and that she had died before he could get around to treating her right and making up for his blunders and sacrificing her in this lifetime.

So when he was told by the Fates (by the Witch of the West, who had somehow been freed from the warlock that had ordered her capture and resided in the town they stopped in to pick up supplies many years ago), many, many years later that he had a daughter, he was determined to set out and make things right with his companions from many years before.

The Witch of the West was thoroughly amused. She didn't say much to Sunggyu, other than the fact that he had kin out there somewhere and he would not be welcomed with open arms.

Sunggyu had assumed so anyway; after all he was the bastard who had abandoned his soulmate and left his pregnant soulmate to fend for herself.

They found her alright--but she had wanted nothing to do with them. Him, to be more precise.

There was a finality in her words that told him that she would not regret her decision of turning him away and not letting him pick up his duties as the person who had sired her. He couldn't find it in him to argue with her. He hated himself too.

They had found her far too late for her to be grateful.

She had a hint of Rin about her; Sunggyu was not sure what it was that made him think of Rin when he first laid eyes on her. She looked nothing like him and looked more like the late Rin, though not a whole lot either. She was quiet and precise in her movements. She was lethal.

She had slain Rae herself and also slaughtered everyone around her that held her prisoner; then she had retreated onto land. At least, that was what she had said with a rather bored-looking expression on her face.

Sunggyu was shocked to hear her nonchalance, especially knowing that there was definitely carnage and she was definitely very powerful to get rid of his half-brother. He'd known that she would end his half-brother's life in the future but he did not know that it would happen at the mere age of fifteen, four years before he learned of her existence and six years before she was found.

She'd just given a grim smile in response, "Of course you wouldn't understand why I did that and why I feel no remorse." Her words had stabbed him, but he was sure by the look in her eyes it was all intentional. She did not like him and he could not blame her. He did not like himself much either.

When she had rid herself of everyone, she had found her way to where her mother had once lived. She had rebuilt the house by herself and had grown a small vegetable garden that would sustain herself throughout the summer months and had enough that she could preserve some for the cold winters. The small town that was nearby existed no more. 

"It is great to know who you are," she had said, a rather placid expression on her face. Her tone of voice also indicated that she was anything but thrilled. "But do not be mistaken. I do not need you in my life."

She eyed Sungjong, the one that was attached to her by the red string of fate. She dismissed him without saying anything. A look of understanding and profound sadness appeared on his face but he did not protest, taking it with a stride. The red string of fate had disintegrated then. It turned from a red to a burnt brown and withered away until it was no more.

Sungjong didn't even try to hide the fact that he had a tear rolling down his cheek. She was not affected at the slightest. 

"Please leave." She turned her back to them, not bothering to give them a proper farewell. Sunggyu was not particularly surprised but he was proud that she was so strong-willed, even though it was at his expense. Perhaps this would have been how Rin would be, once she was more comfortable around them all of those years ago. It was no use, however, to think of that... Rin was gone.

They left and did not look back. Sunggyu was filled with regret, however, but there was not much he could have done to remedy the situation anyway.

For the coming years, Sunggyu lived in isolation. He did not take any visitors and shut himself in the little house that had one room that overlooked a small meadow nearby, with just one little window for sunlight to escape into the dark room. He only left to eat and relieve himself.

He breathed but he did not live.

He eventually lived the last few years without any visitors. He was not sure if he cared or not.

As he took his last breath he wished to not see her when he passed on.

_He did not deserve to._

\--

They were sitting by the cliff, feet dangling from the ledge, watching the waves crash onto the shore with reckless abandon in comfortable silence. A soft breeze blew by and in the distance, seagulls danced in the soft, orange hues of the morning sun.

"Spring."

She looked over to the man that she loved that had called out her name. They were not soulmates but he was the one for her and she, the one for him.

"Do you ever regret letting your soulmate go?"

She had told him the story about how she'd once met her soulmate.but she refused to accept the bond that they shared.

She crossed her arms at him. "Why would you think that?"

He immediately rectified what he'd said. "I mean--I guess that's not the right question to ask."

Spring sighed, clucking her tongue at her beau. She gave him an understanding grin though, though it borderlined downright teasing. "Well, I guess now that you mention it..."

He gave her a very dry look. She threw her head back and laughed in response, her laughter tingling like windchimes. Perhaps it was his imagination and he was unable to sense anything clearly but her, but the waves seemed softer during that brief moment of time and he was spellbound.

"Of course not." Her expression became rather grim though, as if in deep thought. "That is a very good question though. But if I could go back in time I'd still do the same. I would reject what fate had decreed. I don't regret letting him go."

"Why not?" he asked softly.

She just gave him a rueful smile, one that left the mortal wondering what exactly she knew and how she knew it. He knew of her actual nature but she did not like speaking about it and she seldom took swims in her true form. She only lived by the ocean because this was where her mother had once lived and it was the only place on earth that she could be close to her. After all, when sirens died they became sea foam. He did not know what had happened to her mother--all that he knew was that her mother had died and where they had lived before was not ideal.

He didn't think it mattered anymore--she was Spring who loved the ocean but did not want anything to do with it and she told him as much as she could without dipping into her mother's story. It was not her story to tell. He respected that. He didn't want to pry either.

She was here with him now and she was Spring--that was all that mattered to him.

"Just because you're fated to be with someone doesn't mean you're meant to be or that they are the best option. They're simply someone that the Heavens thinks you're most compatible with. I think you'd know best who's "

She gave him a wicked, siren-like grin, akin to those described in horror stories. He shivered a little; she did have her scary moments that made him wonder about her  _true_ , innate nature, after all. But he loved her all the same.

"After all, you can decide your own fate. Fate being pre-determined and dictating what happens to you in your life?" She scoffed. "Nonsense."

She leaned in for a quick peck, a disturbed look flashing across her face. His eyes softened and he reached out for her hand, clasping it in his larger, warm hands. She gave him a small, appreciative smile.

Without another thought, she changed the topic.

After all, she had nothing else to speak about. She was not with her soulmate, she did not care for him, and her parents showed that soulmates were not always meant for each other.


	5. Epilogue

_Rin was orphaned and she did not have anything to her name by the time she was in her prime to be married off. It didn't bother Sunggyu, who did not have much to his name either. His father had died early on in the war that ravaged the country when he was a young child shy of 11 summers old, leaving him and his mother to fend for themselves._

_They got married, a quiet affair with only his mother in attendance. She did not have many friends and many of his own friends were far too busy to make a trip down to where he lived just for a small wedding ceremony. Sunggyu couldn't say he minded much though; he had always wanted his wedding to be a small affair._

_Rin was beautiful and had taken his breath away when she walked down the aisle in his mother's white wedding dress alone. It held special meaning to him that she walked down the aisle in his mother's dress._

_His mother had not originally approved of the two of them because taking in an orphaned in-law was not something to be proud of. But after realizing that they were meant for each other she had relented, lending the younger girl her own wedding dress. It was meant to show that his mother accepted her now and they were on their way to becoming a family. Sunggyu was sure with her addition to their little family, the house would be full now. If he could help it, there would be little Sunggyus and little Rins running around soon._

_"Do you, Kim Sunggyu, take Rin as your wife? To love and cherish, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health? " the pastor asked._

_"I do."_

_"And do you, Miss. Rin, take Kim Sunggyu as your husband? To love and cherish, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health?"_

_There were tears in her eyes and he couldn't help but feel his eyes tear up too. This was it._

_They were going to walk forward from here on out as one._

_"I do."_

_Then the war broke out and he was taken far, far away for nearly three years._

\--

It was raining. Jaerin, better known as Rin to her friends and family, noted with a solemn glance outside. She had been sitting in the little coffee shop to finish up her paper that was due in two days and lost track of time. She had meant to leave around 2 in the afternoon. If she did, she honestly would not be stuck in the current predicament she was in. 

Now the sky was dark and pouring and it didn't seem to relent any time soon... and she didn't have an umbrella either. She did not check the weather today before she headed out. She sighed a little to herself.

Taking a quick sip from her stone-cold coffee she sighed, stretching a little as she stood up. She yawned, covering her mouth. She left her laptop open and did not bother locking the screen by signing out of her account; she was coming back in a quick second and she was able to keep an eye on her laptop too. Grabbing the coffee cup, she threw it out in a nearby trashcan from where she sat. There at the order counter, the barista was already waiting.

"Can I have another cup of large, black coffee?" she asked.

"Anything else?"

She shook her head. She paid and soon left the counter again with another cup of coffee that was piping hot. She needed this last boost of caffeine to finish tonight. She had another assignment to worry about.

Nearly scalding her tongue, she finished the cup within thirty minutes. Cleaning up after herself and packing her bag, she looked out the window. It was still relentlessly raining. Realizing that the rain was not going to relent at all, she decided to just run home. She only lived two blocks away anyway and she didn't mind a little bit of rain, even though it did make her hair frizzy beyond relief.

Zipping up her backpack and checking one last time where she sat to make sure she didn't leave anything behind, she opened the door to the shop, the bells attached to the door chiming as she did so. She was hit by a ferocious gust of wind as well as droplets that whipped into her face.

Hastily closing the door behind her and running out into the endless rain after taking a breath to prepare herself, she couldn't help but curse her luck. She wished that she had checked the weather today.

"Sorry," she apologized each time she bumped into someone by accident. It was slippery and her shoes that were not meant for the weather that had limited grip greatly put her at a disadvantage for walking in this sort of weather. The roads were not crowded by any means but she had trouble keeping her balance.

She shivered as another gust of wind blew by. With that gust of wind came another barrage of water droplets that made her feel more miserable than she thought was possible.

She prayed to get to her apartment before she got so cold that she couldn't move.

When she finally saw her apartment building across the street, her eyes lit up. Almost breathing out a happy sigh, she ran into the cover of her apartment building, shaking herself a little in the lobby like a wet dog before she headed towards the elevator. She made sure to greet the receptionist who gave her a small nod in return. As she rounded the corner and saw the elevators, she saw that one of them was on its way up and was already beginning to close its doors.

Rin did not bother running because she was not going to make it on time, but what surprised her was that a hand shot out to prevent them from closing, making the elevator's automated doors open up again.

A man who seemed familiar to her was there, watching her. He gave her a small nod and smile, indicating that he would wait for her. She hurried.

"Thanks," she managed to say when she entered the same elevator. He just hummed in response.

She reached over to press the button for her floor but she was confused to realize that it was pressed already. She didn't recognize the man. She eyed the box that the man was comfortably carrying.

She awkwardly shuffled. The doors to the elevator closed and it began its quiet descent up, a faint murmur in the background. She glanced once again at the box he was carrying. Finally, she cleared her throat, "Are you the new tenant on floor six?"

She had noticed when she left her apartment for school in the morning that the door to room sixty-seven was open and it sounded like someone was ripping open boxes. She found it awfully fast--it was only last week when the last tenant had moved out--the previous tenant's visa had expired and they were heading back to their home country.

"Yea," the guy replied, blinking as he looked over to her and made eye contact. "I'm guessing you live on floor six too?"

"Yea," Rin beamed. She held her hand out to him, "I'm Jaerin but you can just call me Rin."

"Rin," he repeated, a thoughtful look on his face. A small smile spread on his face. "I see. I would shake your hand but my hands are a bit preoccupied at the moment. Are you a university student?"

Rin gave a sheepish smile. "Whoops." She put her hand down. But she did answer his question.

"Yep, I'm a university student," she said, exaggerating the p sound. "Are you one too?"

He looked a little too old to be a university student, but she asked anyway. There were always people returning to school at a later age. It was no longer strange; not that it should have ever been.

He scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "Yea. Life happened and I didn't get the chance to go to school as early as I liked."

Rin gave him a kind smile, "There's no shame in going to university late." He didn't say anything in response.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened on their floor. The two elevator companions got off quietly, standing a few steps away from the elevator doors as they faced each other.

"You should hurry and dry yourself off," he gestured to her. Rin nodded her head. "Thanks."

She made her way down the hallway towards her room when she was stopped by Sunggyu calling down the hallway to her. "Hey!"

She turned around.

He was still standing where they got off at the elevator, watching her. "I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Sunggyu."

"It was nice meeting you," she nodded, the novelty of meeting a new tenant wearing off. She shivered a little, teeth beginning to chatter. She wanted to go into her room and warm up. Sunggyu nodded in response, "See you around!"

She gave one last wave and a quick flash of her smile. She disappeared, rounding the corner. He still stood there a few seconds after, wondering what were the odds. He had no expectations when he moved from his hometown to start anew after his parents died. He had stayed after high school to take care of his adoptive parents whom he owed everything to and were aging rather fast, having adopted him at the age of 50 when he was only 5. However, he was at loss with what to do with himself after the freak accident that had taken their lives instantly. 

There was nothing left for him in the small town so he opted to study hard for entrance exams and he got into one of the most prestigious universities in the city. Consequently, he moved to the city too after selling the quaint house he had lived in. It was hard, but he still had to because he wanted to start anew.

A second life.

A second town in this lifetime.

A second chance to make up for what had transpired previously.

Sunggyu could do nothing but count his blessings. He no longer counted what made him miserable, what he did wrong, or the things he regretted. That was far too self-depracating and did not do much but discourage him when he needed encouragement.

He was going to make it right this time around. He eyed his pinky finger, noting that the red string of fate did not trail after the direction in which the girl had scurried off to. Perhaps it was because there were so many regrets, so much hatred on her end from their last life that the bond had permanently snapped. He's never really heard of people being reassigned their soulmates. Soulmates were usually the same from life to life. Perhaps their bond had shattered because of how he had given her up.

He also did not know why he remembered his past life so vividly, and all of his short-comings. But it was a blessing in disguise because he knew now that he had to make up for it.

It didn't matter to him; he was going to make it right this time around, even if they weren't fated.

They weren't fated but he was sure that they were meant to be.

\--

She woke up with a start. Her eyes darted around her, unable to figure out where she was. It was cold. She shivered, noting that she was dressed in a thin, sheer dress. Had it been any other time, she would have been nothing short of embarassed; however she was very confused so she ignored her lack of proper clothing.

Carefully, she sat up, using the palms of her hands to support her as she edged towards the ends of the stone slab that she was placed on. There were shelves and shelves of jars of things she did not recognize. She was in some sort of cave, she realized. There was the sound of dripping water in the distance and there was scarcely any light. It was then she made eye contact with the last person she would have expected to see. She was standing there quietly, watching her every move like how a predator would eye its prey.

"What am I doing here?" Rin asked the Witch of the West, who was watching her with great interest. There was something malicious in her eyes that Rin did not like. The witch cracked a huge smile, taking Rin aback.

"Why, I thought you'd never ask!" the witch exclaimed with glee, rubbing her hands together excitedly, released from her frozen stupor. Rin felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. "I'm sure you remember who I am, dear. You were only three summers younger than you were now. Though, I guess, if I had to be honest, you're quite a young one, now! Barely a day old! I am quite impressed with myself, yes, yes, yes I am."

That was when realization had struck her.

"What do you mean by that?" Rin demanded, suddenly realizing how weird the predicament she was in was. She had died. She was sure of it. She had felt her life slipping away from her and then she had felt, heard, and seen nothing but darkness for a very, very long time.

"I resurrected you from the dead! Silly girl! How could you not remember that you have died!" the witch cackled, stepping closer towards Rin and inspecting her. Rin couldn't help but lean a little away. "My, my! I have not lost my touch! You look as if you were real!" She leaned in towards the younger woman who tried to remain nonchalant, as if to tell her a secret. It was then Rin saw the rotting teeth and the worms that crawled through her skin much like how worms wormed their way through rotten apples.

Appalled, Rin threw up. Or at least, attempted to. She dry-heaved and nothing but sticky phelgm made its way out of her throat. The wtich stepped away, wrinkling her nose in disgust. Rin would have found it amusing had she not been in her current predicament.

The witch clucked her tongue at the display.

"Now, now, none of that. This wastes my time and dirties my chamber." She then waved her hand dismissively at the young woman. She grinned, her disgusting set of teeth showing again. Rin had to fight the urge to retch yet again. If it were possible, Rin was sure that her teeth was in a worse condition than they were all those years ago. "I  _own_  you now. I'm rather interested in making that vile person pay! Of course, for all of those years ago he held me prisoner on the Crowned Liberty! What a dreary experience that was for me! I almost perished in the hands of the warlock! How dare he?"

The witch eyed her, circling around her like a vulture. Rin was far too tired and spent (from what, she had no idea) to even try to stand up from the stone slab she sat on. "Of course, you'd remedy the situation! Why, he'd be at my knees! I just need to make you suffer a little and show him that I have you and he'll come. He fancies himself a superhero, I'm sure!"

The witch then laughed a toe-curling laugh. Rin felt sick to the stomach yet again. She was once again paying for his mistakes. Paying herself for him. She was sick of it.

She curled her fingers into the palms of her hands, her fingernails cutting deep into her skin. She bit her lips in fury, every little part of her wishing him harm. (Though, if she had to be honest, not really, because he was her soulmate after all). Her eyes, itchy and now vacant, did not show any emotion but pure hatred. That, Rin could admit to. Hatred was a strong emotion. She had nothing but pure hatred for the predicaments she was always put in by the man named Kim Sunggyu.

"But of course," the witch softly murmured, a look of fake sympathy on her face, her laughter receding, "I could easily let go of you. Free you, so you can move on to your next life." Rin knew there was something up the witch's sleeves. There was definitely a price to pay. But Rin wanted to rest. She might be willing to pay the price.

"And how would we go about doing that," Rin gritted through her teeth. "What would you want in return?"

"'Why! I thought you'd never ask," the witch said, cackling in glee. She looked very, very pleased. Rin knew that it didn't matter what she chose--the witch would win in the end. "I knew there was a reason why I was so adamant on making sure you came back to life. I'm sure this is the exact reason!" She rubbed her hands together happily. She looked like a child then. A demonic child. 

Rin looked apathetic to the witch's happiness. Rin was nothing but empty. She was tired. She wanted to rest. She wanted to do so without anymore pains. She had suffered enough.

"We can make sure he suffers for everything that he was the cause of," the Witch of the West cooed; she didn't really need to appeal to Rin, however. Rin just wanted everything to end. And maybe, just to never see or hear the name Sunggyu ever again. "The man-boy is utterly stupid! He regrets so much and he regrets not being able to make up for what he did."

Had this been Rin before she died, she would have cared and she definitely would have wanted to see Sunggyu once more. But she had been resting for so long and she had been at peace for so long that she did not want to return to him and she was sure, that there would be a greater price to pay if she chose to return to him.

This time she was going to be selfish and make life easier for herself and not care for him or his feelings. Not that he ever cared for her or her feelings.

"And how would we go about doing this?" Rin asked, her eyes darting to look at the witch in front of her. She could barely feel herself. It didn't feel like she was alive. She just existed at this point. She felt similar to how she'd felt when she had died and her daughter--Spring. Her eyes widened by a small fraction. What had become of Spring?

The witch was rambling at that point and Rin was not able to focus or pay attention. She wanted to ask about her daughter. However, she was annoyed when she realized that the witch would not let up on her incessant babbling anytime soon.

"Witch," Rin tonelessly said. The witch stopped, looking irritated, but stopped all the same. "How is my daughter?"

"That child is destined for great things!" the Witch of the West sung in response, looking pleased that she was asked such a question, all of her previous irritation gone immediately. A sinister smile crossed her face, "No worries! No worries! She'll slay her father. She'll slay that wretched king! All will be well."

That was the final reassurance that Rin needed.

"Do you, the one who is soulmates with the feared captain of Crowned Liberty, Kim Sunggyu, agree to give me power to change his fate? You, who is bound to him by the Fates, also have power over his affairs!" Rin looked down to the pinky finger that she had failed to notice also had the red string of fate attached to it.

So his full name was Kim Sunggyu, something she did not know. No matter. What concerned her was the re-appearance of the red string of fate.

She thought that it had disappeared the day she found out about Spring.

As if sensing she had the question of where the red string of fate came from, the wtich answered, "A new vessel means the string is re-attached! The Fates are stupid! They don't care if you're a vessel or not. They just make sure the souls match and tie the red string of fate!"

"So, do you agree or not?" the witch asked the young woman, demanding an answer. "In exchange, I'll make sure you return to looking for the passage to your next life!"

"I agree," Rin heard herself say. She wanted to be released. The witch then, with a wave of her hand, extracted the soul from the shell she had created.

Rin felt herself falling. She collapsed and that was the end of their story. For now.

"Well, first thing's first," the witch said to herself, cackling, as she went to store the soul away into a jar, filing it away to release it to the River of Souls later. A promise was a promise.

It was a bit of a waste, to fish around for almost three summers and then letting the soul go after a day of putting it into the vessel. But no matter; she wasn't exactly unhappy with the child anyway. It was her soulmate she was unhappy with. No one ever messed with the Witch of the West and expected to get away with it unscathed.

She went over to her cauldron.

"Let's spin how he meets his child. And then... how she quietly slays him by poisoning the well near his abode... and then..." the witch cackled, almost beginning to grate away at the little teeth she had left, "Next time, separate the shell and the soul. She won't look the same next time. But he's a stupid thing. He'll look for the one that looks like her. The reincarnations never really have the same personality. He'd never know, that idiot. Works well in my favour."

She did a little happy dance as she threw in a frog's hind legs.

\--

Somewhere out there in the distance, Sunggyu woke up with a start.

The moonlight streaming in from the little window in his room allowed him to see in the dark, albeit not very clearly. He lifted his hands from underneath the covers and held them above his eyes, peering at them as he struggled to make his breaths even out.

He could have sworn he felt something attached to his pinky finger for a short moment. His dream had seemed so vivid. Rin was there, crying out to be saved. She no longer wanted to suffer and wanted to be freed. She wanted to go back to the River of Souls.

He pondered if he should go find the Sea Witch, but thought better of it. He no longer had much that was of value. And he didn't want to screw around with the living and dead; he's heard of stories and the heft prices paid for bringing someone back from the dead.

Anyway, perhaps it was just his imagination; that feeling couldn't have been real. After all, he had also been dreaming about Rin and perhaps he thought it was real that he felt that the red string of fate was there. He put his hands back down.

Closing his eyes, he fell back into a dreamless sleep.

\--

_"Kim Sunggyu."_

_Sunggyu turned to look at Rin who was glaring at him with a pout. He was packing his belongings, ready to head off to war, as was required of all men in town that were under the age of thirty summers but older than sixteen summers. He was only twenty-five summers old then._

_His mother was in town, buying as many dried foods she could for him, similar to all other women who were sending their sons off to war. She had insisted that they spent some last moments together before he'd left, so she told Rin to not worry about preparations for sending Sunggyu off._

_Rin was always a little childish but that was her charm. In her hands sat a half-completed flower wreath that she'd been working on since the morning after she finished preparing breakfast for everyone. She often liked making them from the wildflowers around their home and gifting them to him, even though he would protest and pretend that he didn't like them. Well, he didn't like them, but he tolerated them because she was the one that gave them to him._

_She looked so lost and vulnerable. She was very upset; nothing could ever pull her away from completing her flower wreaths once she started on them._

_It was one of the moments he cherished because he realized then how much she loved him and he, her._

_It was right before he'd left for war. His train was set to depart the day after._

_"If you dare to not return to me, I'll find you after death and kill you!" she threatened, showing him a clenched fist. She fought to keep her tears locked away but she failed._

_Sunggyu's heart hurt. He grabbed her gently by the hands, unclenching her fist. He took it, tracing each digit of her hand lovingly and he kissed the knuckles of her hands. "I solemnly swear that I, Kim Sunggyu, will come back in one piece. I will love Rin forever and ever and I will find her, if she is not in this town when I return."_

_He kissed her cheek, his lips brushing away the lone tear that had leaked from her eyes. Using the pad of his thumb, he brushed away yet another one that began to travel its way down her cheeks from her other eye._

_"I love you."_

_She leaned in and kissed him. She fastened the flower wreath onto his wrist then, smiling through her tears._

_He kept the flower wreath with him during the war, not caring when the flowers withered away. He had the sole daffodil (her favourite flower) pressed in The Art of War by Sun Tzu that he had brought along with him to war. The rest, he kept in his small chest of belongings, which he eventually used to store his mother's belongings once she passed on._

\--

It wasn't until much later that he realized daffodils in bunches meant good fortune; the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Rebirth.

Her wreath only had one daffodil.

Misfortune.

 

 

 

 

**END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First and Foremost  
> I'd like to first thank everyone that has left/will leave a comment after reading this; I am quite a sucker for comments and I enjoy reading them. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I will eventually get around to answering any questions and comments even if I'm busy, now that a new semester is beginning at school.
> 
> I also would like to ask that if you have any constructive criticism, to please either: a) write it down in the comments or b) message me about it, if you're feeling a little shy. I would really love to get feedback, as I'm actually not an English major (and my major(s)/minor are very far from it), so I haven't been able to improve my writing in many years. I also did take a break from writing to focus on my studies in high school, so there's also that. I do write as a hobby and I'm thinking of trying my luck eventually in the far-off future with getting a full-on story published.
> 
> Criticism is very much appreciated, even though it does hurt sometimes. But hey, honesty is the best policy. I do realize that re-writing is something I'm going to get accustomed to (since I took this story on and off for at least 3 times during the writing process to edit). I think a re-write is definitely in-store for this story in the near future once I find time again. To some degree I am satisfied with what I've written but I feel like I could expand on some parts and write the characters better. As a side note, I'm actually very uncomfortable with writing fantasy--I'm used to writing realistic fiction to be quite honest and it's been my go-to genre for the most part. I like reading fantasy, I have ideas for fantasy novels, but I lack the ability to write it properly.
> 
> About the Story  
> This was supposed to be a two-shot but somehow, after trying to plan it out, it just didn't make sense to make it a two-shot when there was so much that was supposed to happen. This is also a companion story to a Sungjong x OC story that I have up. It's called "The Girl Named Spring".
> 
> As far as this story went, I think it went darker than I had originally intended it to be when I began writing it a year ago. I just wanted to write about star-crossed lovers that decided to give each other up for the better but then... I suddenly thought that it was just too cheesy for me, the forever salty person, so I changed up the storyline. Me thinks I have gotten too into Edgar Allan Poe recently. I went on a shopping spree and bought all of the classics I have wanted to read for a while but never got the chance to, and I also rekindled my love for Edgar Allan Poe and his gothic writing in the process, so please excuse me while I fan-girl. I kind of wanted to get across that your fate is actually in your hands so you should act quickly on it but if I actually got that across is a different story... 
> 
> I wish I had the motivation to extend the story... however, I believe that there wasn't much of a plot-line for me to expand on even if I wanted to. There's a possibility that in the re-write, I figure out more things to write about and include that would make this a 20-chapter fic, but at the current moment, I'm as dry as a raisin with regards to any ideas for this story.
> 
> The epilogue that I just posted a few hours ago was not the original ending I had intended... it was actually supposed to be a little bit happier than the one that is currently up. However, I do like this one a lot more so I'll leave you guys guessing what the original ending was. Hint: It's already included in the epilogue.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading till the end if you have!


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